February 9, 2026
FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL:
Governor Hochul today signed legislation S.138/A.136 that will allow medical aid in dying to be available to terminally ill New Yorkers with less than six months to live. This historic bill signing comes after careful reflection and deliberation with the sponsors of the bill, advocacy organizations, and everyday New Yorkers brave enough to share their personal experiences in order to get this legislation across the finish line. “Our state will always stand firm in safeguarding New Yorkers’ freedoms and right to bodily autonomy, which includes the right for the terminally ill to peacefully and comfortably end their lives with dignity and compassion,” Governor Hochul said. “This journey was deeply personal for me. Witnessing my mother’s suffering from ALS was an excruciating experience, knowing there was nothing I could do to alleviate the pain of someone I loved. It took years of intimate discussions with our bill sponsors, health experts, advocates, and most importantly, families who have similar firsthand experiences. New Yorkers deserve the choice to endure less suffering, not by shortening their lives, but by shortening their deaths — I firmly believe we made the right decision.”
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FROM ASSEMBLYMAN PHIL PALMESANO
(R, Corning): “I voted no on the Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.136), as well as the chapter amendment, and while I do think the sponsor of the bill and those who voted for it have the best intentions, this is simply not a bill I could support in good conscience. I agree with many of the concerns that were raised about this legislation, especially those voiced by disability rights groups. I oppose Gov. Hochul’s decision to sign this bill into law,” said Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning).
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FROM ASSEMBLYMAN JOE SEMPOLINSKI
(R, Canisteo): “I’m very saddened that this is going to become law. The amendments that she requested, in my opinion, don’t go anywhere nearly far enough to assauge my concerns. I could not think of an amendment that would have assauged my amendment. I”m terrified on how in the long term, this is going to impact vunerable people – especially those with disabilities. This is a very sad, tragic, abominable thing, which is going to become legal in the state of New York, because Kathy Hochul did not have the guts to do the right thing.”
